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Automotive industry

Automotive industry
News about the global automotive industry with a focus on developments that matter most for the China market.
The Next P7, an electric vehicle from Xpeng, appears at the Indonesian International Motor Show in Jakarta on February 5, 2026. Photo: AP Photo
Electric & new energy vehicles

China should skip a step in self-driving cars, Xpeng CEO says

He Xiaopeng urges Beijing to clear way for a leap ahead in autonomous driving technology – a jump he promises to propose at the ‘two sessions’.

Two Sessions 2026

Chinese officials, car executives may discuss capping EV output

Autonomous vehicles

Breakthrough or hype? How WeRide aims to edge rivals in crowded robotaxi field

Germany

BMW to trial humanoid robots at German factory, as China competition heats up

The two AI-powered Aeon robots – touted as being smart enough to make their own decisions – will work alongside human staff.

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Aeon, a humanoid robot, is seen at a BMW facility in Munich, Germany, on Friday. Photo: AFP
Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s Geely bets on longer-range, faster-charging tech over fresh EV price war

‘We promise to compete based on technology, quality, brand, service and corporate ethics,’ Geely Auto CEO says.

Hong Kong transport

Hong Kong autonomous vehicle tests move up a gear with longer routes

Routes on the North Lantau trial will cover up to 43.2km, with more vehicles allowed to operate at the same time.

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China-EU relations

Opinion | Germany’s outreach to China signals a reckoning, rather than a shift

The German chancellor realises that while China poses a long-term economic challenge, the United States is currently the more disruptive partner.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Electric & new energy vehicles

Low-cost models dominate China EV sales, surpassing Tesla and BYD

Geely’s and Wuling’s sub-100,000 yuan battery EVs ranked first and second in mainland China last year, each selling over 400,000 units.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s EV insurers move towards profitability on higher premiums, AI adoption

Chinese insurers are turning to AI as the technology cuts labour costs and enhances pricing accuracy.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Geely’s Zeekr shifts into Italy as China’s European EV push gathers speed

The carmaker is pressing ahead despite tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, betting on demand for high-spec models.

Zeekr is betting on European demand for high-spec models in its foray into Italy. Photo: Getty Images
Electric & new energy vehicles

Speed bump ahead: rising battery costs nudge Chinese drivers towards hybrids

Higher lithium prices and the end of incentives are reshaping China’s EV market, with hybrids emerging as a more practical option for many.

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Workers produce lithium batteries in Qinyang, central China’s Henan province. Photo: Xinhua
Gold in Hong Kong

Copper, lithium unlikely to match gold’s gains as output rises: Goldman

Record gold prices have lifted sentiment across raw materials, but analysts expect differentiated returns as producers ratchet up output.

Luxury cars

Andrea Zagato on the Capricorn 01, coachbuilder Zagato’s first hypercar

The project blends Italian design flair and German precision thanks to engineering firm Capricorn, known for McLaren, Porsche and Bugatti collabs.

China-Latin America relations

Chinese steel hit with duties up to US$670 per tonne after Brazil dumping probe

Government anti-dumping investigation found Chinese imports were being sold at unfairly low prices, harming domestic producers.

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A worker stacks steel products meant for the export market at a factory in Binzhou, Shandong province, China, on April 15, 2025. Following two investigations, Brazil has imposed anti-dumping duties on a broad range of Chinese steel products. Photo: AFP
US-China trade war

Has Trump ceded EV market to China with latest string of policy shifts?

Analysts say rolling back regulations pushes US further towards petrol cars, discourages EV innovation, and gives China competitive edge.

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The BYD Explorer vessel docks at Yantai port in eastern China’s Shandong province as it awaits the loading of Chinese electric vehicles for export overseas. Photo: AFP
Artificial intelligence

Colour matters: how AI is changing car premiums and services in China

Car colour, driving habits and location influence insurance premiums, according to a digital solutions provider using ByteDance’s AI model.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Ford plans US$30,000 budget EV line to take on Chinese rivals

Ford shrinks battery size while extending driving range in bid to launch the new EV by 2027 for the same price as a conventional petrol car.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese cars now can’t be sold for less than it costs to make them

Regulator bans tactics that result in a net loss per vehicle after a 7 per cent drop in the average car price.

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Cars are lined up for inspection at carmaker Great Wall Motor’s plant in Baoding, in northern China’s Hebei province, on November 24, 2025. Photo: Reuters
Americas and the Caribbean

Why China’s BYD and Geely are eyeing Mexico’s idle auto plants

With Mexico’s auto sector battered by tariffs, Chinese investment offers a lifeline that threatens to inflame tensions with Washington.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s efforts to control EV price war sees carmakers paying vendors quicker

Only a handful of the nearly 50 mainland China-based EV builders have been able to turn a profit amid the price wars.

Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s EV sales boom runs short on battery life

EV price wars are heating up again in China as the end of stimulus measures dampens domestic demand.

Photo: ZUMA Press/TNS
China-Latin America relations

China becomes Brazil’s biggest vehicle exporter in January, surpassing Argentina

The shift ends more than three decades of Argentine dominance, built on Mercosur rules and geographic proximity to Brazil’s car dealers.

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In May, BYD unloaded 7,292 electric vehicles at Itajai port in southern Brazil using its own cargo ships. Photo: Handout
Electric & new energy vehicles

Pony AI and Toyota roll out robotaxis in China’s autonomous drive push

Guangzhou-based Pony AI begins output of 1,000 autonomous cabs and targets a 3,000-unit fleet by the end of 2026 as it expands globally.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EV maker Nio raises US$2.6 billion bet on battery swapping

Company touts 100 million swaps, but fast-charging batteries are eating into the technology’s speed advantage, analyst says.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Tesla launches China AI training centre as self-driving race accelerates

US EV giant opens hub to advance its Full Self-Driving software, as Chinese carmakers step up their own L3 autonomous driving plans.

The AI training centre’s launch marks a significant step towards commercialising Tesla’s Full Self-Driving navigation software in mainland China. Photo: Reuters
Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s turbocharged EV market hits a speed bump amid falling sales

After years at full throttle, China’s EV sector is slowing sharply, with sales sliding in January as tax breaks fade and costs rise.

China’s roughly 50 electric carmakers sold about 900,000 vehicles last month, down 42.3 per cent from 1.56 million units in December. Photo: Xinhua
Electric & new energy vehicles

Tesla, Xiaomi vie for Chinese EV buyers with cheaper, longer loans

Low interest rates and seven-year payback periods replace price discounts while EV sales drop and materials costs rise.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EV makers’ shares skid as sales slide after tax incentive ends

Shares in Hong Kong-listed BYD, Xpeng, Li Auto and Nio plummet as tepid January sales underline pessimistic forecasts for the year.

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